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Monday, February 20, 2012

Pork Chops with Wine & Garlic

On most week nights, I still come home wanting to eat home-cooked food-- as opposed to bringing home take-out. I'm pretty much the Chief Cook in the house, and I need meals that come together quickly. I often resort to pan-searing meat and making a pan sauce. I love pan sauces. They transform boring old chicken, pork or beef into something that resembles restaurant quality food. It couldn't be simpler. When the Pioneer Woman recently posted this recipe, I knew that this would be dinner. That very night!

I stopped by my meat market, and picked up two luscious pork loins. I already had the rest of the ingredients on hand-- red wine, garlic cloves, beef broth and balsamic vinegar. So, here we go-- the pork is seasoned with coarse salt & black pepper. Then it's seared in a screaming hot skillet with a little oil and unsalted butter.

I did something a little differently that "PW" does... I prefer to sear my meats on one side until golden brown, and then put them into a 425F oven to roast them. (I already had baked potatoes going, so it was convenient to do this.) This method pretty much assures me that the meat will be moist. I roasted these for about 4 minutes, then removed them and lightly covered them in foil. (Otherwise, just flip them more a few more minutes, because you'll finish cooking the pork in the sauce.) To the skillet, I added about 8 peeled cloves of garlic, and tossed the about on medium heat until golden brown. Look at all the brown deliciousness on the bottom of the pan...flavor, just waiting to happen!

So, now I add some red wine, a bay leaf and let that bubble and reduce for a few minutes. Last, I add some beef broth and the chops and let them simmer for a few minutes more.

I add a bit of balsamic vinegar, and swirl the pan a bit...

For a final ta-da, I turn off the heat and add some unsalted butter and whisk it in.

I served this with a baked potato, and a salad with a light white balsamic vinaigrette.

TASTING NOTES: I do consider pork to be the "other white meat" and we love it. I realize that this isn't exactly a child-friendly dish, but my baby is already a grown young man. The garlic was sweet, and cooking it removed any kind of strong garlic "bite". I wish I had added even more garlic cloves. The sauce was so flavorful, with that very subtle tang of balsamic. Loved this dish. Love, love. This recipe is going into my regular rotation for those nights when I'm hungry, but tired. Super easy to make, and good enough to serve company for dinner. Thanks, Ree!

20 comments:

Oh these pork chops look heavenly... and so moist. My mother raising me was always scared to cook pork chops because we would always need a gallon of applesauce because they were so dry. This recipe looks fantastic and absolutely aromatic. Beautiful.

I try to get take-out as infrequently as possible (but sushi DOES occasionally happen) and as a result, dinners need to be either ready or quick around here also! Pan searing with a pan sauce is a great idea.

This looks divine! I love that deep red color of the wine and I bet that garlic was so sweet and delicious! I'm sure that sauce kept the meat really nice and moist, beautiful meal :) Hope you have a lovely day!

This looks so quick and easy! Best of all, no apples or applesauce in sight! My mom always thought the two went together.This sauce looks like a perfect match for the pork, especially with such a nice amount of garlic added!

That beautiful sauce looks so delicious on those chops.I shy away from pork tenderloin because it can be so dry, but I think you have overcome that problem, Debby.Your style of cooking is exactly what I like and your wonderful photos don't hurt any either. Could you send a plate my way?

I am always looking for wonderful ways to prepare pork tenderloins. We bring pounds of them home from Iowa every summer and we usually grill or bake them with minimal spices so that their wonderful flavor isn't overpowered. But the way you describe this recipe, and how much you loved it, I will make this immediately!

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Welcome to my internet kitchen. Please, sit back and relax, and watch me make delicious food and bakery recipes. Most of my recipes are simple, flavorful meals-- and a few baked treats. I focus on using fresh, seasonal ingredients and I try to avoid using boxed mixes and processed foods. I'm having fun learning how to cook like my grandmother once did-- from scratch! I hope that my step-by-step photos will inspire a timid cook to try them. Even if you're a seasoned cook, hopefully you'll learn a new tip or two.

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